Welcome to ABF E-Buzz

Welcome back to ABF E-Buzz! I hope that the past month has brought you the ability to inspect your bees and find them doing well. We had a few days early in the month where the temperature was way above normal and got through all of our bees and found them to be in very good shape. Talking to other beekeepers I've received reports that many of them think we are ahead of schedule in the bees development. I was in Texas early in the month, where I had a chance to visit with Clint Walker and he thought the bees were more advanced in their development than he had ever seen. The past couple of weeks, however, has brought much cooler temperatures and three snow storms throughout the Midwest, so maybe things will slow a bit and get us a little closer to normal.

I had a wonderful opportunity to speak at the Collin County Beekeepers in Dallas this month and presented a program on nucs that I have reduced to an article for you that I hope you will find useful in managing your bees this spring. Nuc boxes are a valuable tool that any beekeeper, including those with just one or two hives, can utilize. There's really a lot of great content in this issue that we trust you will find informative and helpful. As always, we hope that you enjoy your time spent with the ABF E-Buzz and if you have anything that you would like to see in an upcoming issue, please do not hesitate to drop me an e-mail at tuckerb@hit.net.

The ABF Education Committee has been hard at work developing new ways to keep its members engaged and informed in between ABF annual conferences each year. To this end, the ABF is pleased to announce a special nine-part series within the "Conversation with a Beekeeper" Webinar series. This series will be titled "Beekeeping 101" and will feature Dr. Roger Hoopingarner, professor emeritus at Michigan State University. Whether you are brand new to the world of beekeeping or you just need to have a refresher course, this "Beekeeping 101" series will be a great educational experience with many topics focused on the biology and management of honey bees.

The next session within this series is titled "Pollinators and Pollination" and it will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. ET. More details on Dr. Hoopingarner's presentation can be found below.

There are a total of nine sessions within the "Beekeeping 101" series. Most sessions will take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to keep an eye on future issues of ABF E-Buzz, as well as the ABF website at www.abfnet.org, for more information and registration details for each session.

SESSION DETAILS

Dr. Roger Hoopingarner

Join us as we explore the basic flower types and the interactions of bees with flowers in the transfer of pollen, as well as flower colors and attraction of bees for pollination.

Dr. Roger Hoopingarner got his start in beekeeping as a boy scout 65 years ago. With that interest he went on to receive his B.S. degree from Michigan State University in Entomology and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His doctoral research was on the genetics and environmental factors in queen rearing.

After a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the faculty at Michigan State University's Entomology Department where he remained doing research, teaching and extension in insect physiology and apiculture for 38 years. His research interests involved fruit pollination, disease transmission, population dynamics and insecticide interactions with insects and animals.

IMPORTANT SESSION FORMAT / REGISTRATION INFORMATION

The sessions will be conducted via the GoToWebinar online meetings platform, which means the presenter will have a visual presentation, as well as an audio presentation. Upon entering the session online, you may choose whether to listen to the presentation through your computer's speakers or through your phone.

Reserve your spot today by e-mailing Grayson Daniels, ABF membership coordinator, at graysondaniels@abfnet.org or by calling the ABF offices at 404.760.2875. Registration will close 48 business hours before the scheduled session. Twenty-four hours before the session the registered participant will receive an e-mail confirming participation, along with the necessary information to join the session. If an e-mail address is not provided, the ABF will call the participant with the information. Questions for the speaker must be submitted 48 business hours in advance to Grayson Daniels.

If you are unable to make the session, don't fear! Each session will be recorded and available on the ABF Web site for member-only access.

THE "BEEKEEPING 101" SERIES IS SPONSORED BY: Nozevit — A Member of the CompleteBee.com Family

Nozevit is an all-natural plant polyphenol honey bee food supplement that is added to sugar syrup feed. Nozevit is produced from certified organic substances according to a decades old traditional European recipe. Healthy bee colonies build brood faster in the spring, and will winter extremely well when their intestinal integrity is intact. Exceptional colonies can be built using all-natural Nozevit as a food supplement for intestinal cleansing, thereby reducing the need of chemical treatments for internal ailments.

Bee Proactive: Help Strengthen the ABF's Voice in Washington

By this time you are well into your 2013 beekeeping year. The American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) is well into its year, too, and is focusing on the legislative goals that were set during the Hershey conference. ABF President George Hansen, ABF Past President Zac Browning and legislative co-chair Gene Brandi have already made one legislative trip to Washington, D.C., since the conference in order to further the legislative priorities of the ABF, which include:

Funding for Research. Reports continue to reach us that many of our members and other beekeepers are again experiencing large losses due to a variety of causes. The 2008 Farm Bill authorized additional funds for CCD research, but only a portion of that was actually appropriated. We are encouraging Congress to appropriate the authorized funds and to continue this level of funding in the 2012 Farm Bill, which is still under consideration.

Maintaining ARS Lab Funding. The ARS honey bee lab at Weslaco was closed last year. The ABF continues to urge the ARS to maintain the research efforts of the scientists at the current funding levels.

Protecting Our Honey Market. There continues to be a great deal of discussion concerning the state of our honey market. The discussions come down to two priorities: 1) establishing a national standard of identity for honey, and establishing state standards while we get cooperation from the FDA on the national standard; and 2) stopping illegal imports, particularly transshipment of Chinese honey through intermediary countries. We are being told that our honey market is in precarious shape. We need to take strong steps to shore it up. The FDA has thus far refused to work on the honey standard of identity submitted by the industry, led by the ABF nearly six years ago. In Washington, Congressional support for our request has taken a back seat to budget issues. Meanwhile, the list of states that have established state honey standards is growing. We applaud those state actions. The standard of identity will give state and federal enforcement officials a better tool to use to stop those who are adding cheaper sweeteners to our honey. In addition, several persons accused of being involved in honey transshipment have been arrested and convicted. The ABF, along with representatives from the honey industry groups, is working to develop a workable standard at a second round table meeting this spring.

Pesticides. We are losing our bees at unsustainable rates. There may be a great deal of dispute over what exactly is the cause. But, it is increasingly clear that pesticides, particularly systemics, play a role in colony decline. The verification that neonicitinoids were a culprit in corn in honey bee losses during corn planting in the United States and Canada last season is a reminder that this is an area that cannot be overlooked, no matter the pushback from entities with vested interests. The ABF, on its own and through the National Honey Bee Advisory Board (NHBAB), has developed a working relationship with the EPA as a stakeholder in the efforts to revise registration and labeling of pesticides. It is clear that the incident reporting system and the policing of compliance issues is broken. For us to work on these issues takes countless hours from ABF leaders and members to make any impact.

Promoting and Protecting Honey Bee Habitat. Lack of sufficient foraging resources for honey bees in many parts of the country is having a profoundly negative effect on hive health and productivity. We are committed to working with government agencies, agriculture allies and other stakeholders to develop policies and programs to enhance, protect, expand and provide access to suitable pollinator habitat.

Crop Insurance and H-2A Labor Programs. We are continuing to work for USDA disaster programs to be more available to beekeepers and to make funding of these programs permanent. While immigration and farm subsidies are sure to create headlines, our industry's need for legal laborers requires an H-2A labor program that works, and programs that allow for the management of risk without opening the door to fraud. These are difficult issues that require our input and consistent voice to resolve.

Making these trips to Washington is expensive, but this is something we have to do as we endeavor to pursue the goals set by the ABF membership. Air travel is never cheap and Washington hotel rates are out-of-sight. Our Washington lobby firm has been taking on an extra load required as the new Farm Bill develops. We must have them working for us on the scene, alert to anything of importance to beekeepers, and especially educating the new crop of representatives of our needs and priorities.

The bottom line is that the ABF cannot achieve the goals set by the membership without the financial resources to get the job done and, at this time, we are again behind budget in the ABF Legislative Fund. Do we want to see our goals reached badly enough to commit what it takes? We can assure you that your contributions to the ABF Legislative Fund are spent carefully and with full consideration of how important this work is for you, the ABF members. Your donations are very much appreciated and are an investment in the future of your business, as well as the bee industry as a whole. You can easily donate online at www.abfnet.org or send your contribution to ABF, 3525 Piedmont Road, Building Five, Suite 300, Atlanta, GA 30305.

Editor's Note: Special thanks to those individuals that have contributed to this effort to date. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Bee Updated: EPA Formally Issues Section 3 Registration for Apivar®

by Tim Tucker, ABF Vice President and ABF E-Buzz Editor

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been reviewing the registration for Apivar® in an expedited manner and has formally issued a Section 3 registration for the product. Arysta Lifescience was notified on March 11, 2013, of the conditional approval of Apivar® under a registration number of 87243-1 and will be undergoing registration review. As such, individual states will no longer have to file for Section 18 registration of the product.

This will be a big help to all beekeepers across the country in our fight to control varroa. Apivar® is formulated as a sustained release plastic strip impregnated with 3.33 percent amitraz (0.5 g active ingredient per strip) manufactured by WYJOLAB for Veto-Pharma S.A. All applicable directions, restrictions and precautions on the product label must be followed.

To control varroa, remove honey supers before application of Apivar®, use two (2) strips per brood chamber with a minimum distance of two (2) frames between strips. Bees should walk on the strips. Leave strips in the boxes for 42 days, then remove. Reposition as needed so bees stay in contact, then leave for 14 more days. Strips must be removed after a maximum of 56 days.

A maximum of two (2) treatments, spring and fall, may be made per year if varroa mite infestation reaches treatment thresholds. Honey supers cannot be on when strips are used, and cannot be replaced until 14 days after strip removal. Protective gloves are required. Total residues of amitraz in honey and beeswax are not expected to exceed 0.2 and 9 ppm, respectively.

Bee Aware: United States Honey Production Down 1 Percent in 2012

Annual honey report released March 18, 2013, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Honey production in 2012 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 147 million pounds, down 1 percent from 2011. There were 2.62 million colonies producing honey in 2012, up 5 percent from 2011. Yield per colony averaged 56.1 pounds, down 6 percent from the 59.6 pounds in 2011. Colonies which produced honey in more than one state were counted in each state where the honey was produced. Therefore, at the United States level yield per colony may be understated, but total production would not be impacted. Colonies were not included if honey was not harvested. Producer honey stocks were 32.9 million pounds on December 15, 2012, down 10 percent from a year earlier. Stocks held by producers exclude those held under the commodity loan program.

Honey prices increased to a record high during 2012 to 195.1 cents per pound, up 11 percent from 176.5 cents per pound in 2011. United States and state-level prices reflect the portions of honey sold through cooperatives, private and retail channels. Prices for each color class are derived by weighting the quantities sold for each marketing channel. Prices for the 2011 crop reflect honey sold in 2011 and 2012. Some 2011 crop honey was sold in 2012, which caused some revisions to the 2011 crop prices.

The complete NASS Honey Report is available on the ABF website at www.abfnet.org under the "Education & Events" tab, "Honey Facts."

Bee Building: Nucs Are Always a Good Thing

by Tim Tucker, ABF Vice President and ABF E-Buzz Editor

I don't ever remember not making nucs during my beekeeping career. My mentor provided me with my first five-frame nuc box as a guide for constructing other boxes, which I have changed only in a few small ways. How do you improve on a five-frame box, right?

It seems as though the first 10 years that I kept bees they would always build up quickly in the spring and I would make splits and make increases each year in order to produce more honey. My numbers increased each year, as we very rarely lost more than 10 percent of our total numbers during the winter. Those were, of course, the good old days. Most of my splits were two or three frames of brood and a couple of extra frames for growth. These units always came up and when we made them in April we usually were ready to move into single deeps by the end of May.

A few years ago when I decided to raise nucs for sale I began playing around with the design of nuc boxes with my carpenter cohort Norbert Neal, and we began building a new box after two or three prototypes. The end design is one that I feel is just about the perfect box for what we need. It is actually a six-frame box, which is 10 and a half inches in width and, as you can see in the accompanying picture, it has a divider that can be put in or taken out. The divider keeps two three-frame units from being in contact with one another.

So, when we make the splits up in Texas early in the spring, each box contains two splits and one enters the back of the box and the other unit has an opening on the front. We also made a design that allows us to put a screen in a slide that we can close up quickly for moving the nuc whenever we need to. As the nucs grow, we put one three-frame nuc into another box set by the initial unit and pull the divider out so they can both grow into six-frame units.

One of the most important things with bees is giving them the space they can occupy without having too much room. They seem to build faster if they are given just enough space. I have used 10-frame boxes with follower boards that you can move out as you add frames and that works great, as well. This year we overwintered nucs, and while we did loose quite a few, most survived and are doing just as well in their six-frame boxes. We have now had to build second story deeps that allow these overwintered nucs enough room to expand upwards, just like a regular 10-frame hive body. These six-frame units are so easy to work with and just about anyone can lift them and just walk away with one.

Earlier this month I was in Texas talking to the Collin County beekeepers and I told them that everyone who has a good hive of bees should experiment with making nucs. It is a great way to practice swarm control and helps prepare you for losses. Today we never seem to know when hives will suddenly collapse and nucs can help you get ahead of the game. Build a few of these boxes and you will be able to begin on the road to long-term success with the bees.

Bee Proud: ABF Member Dadant & Sons Celebrates 150th Anniversary

by Dianne Behnke, Dadant & Sons

Eight hundred beekeepers converged on the Dadant & Sons, Inc., Beekeeping Supply and Candle Company in Hamilton, Illinois, March 15-16, 2013, to attend the Sesquicentennial Anniversary celebrating the company's 150 years of business.

Festivities on March 15 included a tour of the company's three main area manufacturing facilities in Hamilton and Dallas City, Illinois, and Kahoka, Missouri, as well as a complementary banquet and evening speaker at Sullivan Auctioneers, located outside of Hamilton. The following day, beekeepers were treated to a full day of speeches and displays, as well as lunch provided by the company. Saturday's program included speeches from nationally known beekeeping experts: James Tew, retired Ohio State extension beekeeper and current extension beekeeper at Auburn University; Randy Oliver, California commercial beekeeper and pollinator and monthly columnist for the American Bee Journal; Jerry Hayes, former Florida state apiarist, who currently works for Monsanto in St. Louis on bee health and writes the monthly "Classroom" column for the American Bee Journal; and Chuck and Karen Lorence, Illinois sideline beekeepers and honey marketing experts. Talks were also given by Tim Dadant, company president; Kent Robertson, Dadant's Dallas City Metalware plant manager; and Ray Latner, Dadant's Florida branch manager.

Dadant & Sons, Inc., began their business in Hamilton, Illinois, in 1863 when Charles Dadant emigrated from France to the United States with the intention of growing grapes in West Central Illinois. However, Charles, who had also been a hobby beekeeeper in France, soon discovered that honey bees flourished and produced excellent honey crops in this area due to the abundance of native wildflowers, as well as clover and alfalfa grown by farmers. From this sideline pursuit the family's beekeeping business continued to grow. At one time, the family was known as one of the largest honey producers in the country.

Charles and his son, C.P. Dadant, also began to manufacture beeswax comb foundation for other beekeepers when it was discovered that providing reusable combs for beehives greatly increased the hive's honey productivity. Eventually, the company added beehives, honey processing equipment and other beekeeping accessories to the wide range of products they sold to beekeepers. As the family business grew, producing quality beekeeping supplies became a larger part of the business. Today, Dadant & Sons, Inc., is the largest beekeeping supply manufacturer in the world. They also manufacture candles for both the religious and decorative candle trade. Besides its plants in Hamilton, Dallas City and Kahoka, Dadant also owns a woodenware plant in Polson, Montana. The company also has 10 branch sales offices located throughout the country, in addition to significant international sales volume. On the educational front, Dadant maintains the monthly American Bee Journal magazine, the oldest English language beekeeping magazine, as well as publishing an extensive line of beekeeping educational books.

Editor's Note: The ABF extends its congratulations to Dadant & Sons on this important milestone! We thank you for your continued support of the ABF and we look forward to many more years of your service to the members of the ABF and the beekeeping community.

Baton Rouge is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. With so much to see and do, you’ll want to start planning your agenda now. There is never a dull moment in Baton Rouge! The River Center is centrally located in the downtown area, within walking distance of various attractions, cultural sites, hotels, restaurants and nightlife. With surroundings rich in Louisiana culture and entertainment, the River Center provides a unique environment for memorable experiences, including the 2014 ABF annual conference.

The 2014 North American Beekeeping Conference & Tradeshow is sure to offer top-notch education sessions from industry leaders, various networking opportunities, a variety of hands-on workshops and lots of fun. Conference details will be available on the ABF website soon!

Honey Queen Buzz: Spring Break? Not for the Queen and Princess!

by Anna Kettlewell, American Honey Queen Program Chair

Queen Caroline visits the Connecticut State Capitol for their annual Ag Day. Nearly 800 people were in attendance as agricultural commodities from across the state shared the vital roles they play in Connecticut agriculture.

March continued to be a busy month for our 2013 American Honey Queen and Princess. Caroline and Emily began the month with a trip to the University of Minnesota's Short Course for Beekeeping in Northern Climates. They had the opportunity to beef up their beekeeping knowledge and skills, along with promoting ABF membership to the many attendees. Joint promotions like these really aid in the Honey Queen and Princess working as a team throughout the year!

Princess Emily met with the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture, James Comer, to discuss ways to make Kentucky more bee friendly. She was also presented with a certificate as an Honorary Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner.

The Queen Committee took advantage of Caroline and Emily's spring breaks by scheduling visits to Kentucky, Texas, Connecticut and Wisconsin throughout the rest of March. Spring is a great time for many events, including fairs, civic events, capitol visits and spring conferences. Caroline's trips to Texas and Connecticut included school visits (including deaf schools utilizing her study of sign language), festivals and Ag Day at the capitol in Connecticut. Many states host an ag day at the capitol or similar function. Please consider hosting the Honey Queen or Princess as part of your exhibit or meetings during such a day in your state. Speaking with legislators is a great use of their training and time!

Emily also had a chance to meet with state agriculture officials during her trip to Kentucky to participate in a week-long event promoting the importance of honey bees at Kentucky's capitol. In addition to high-school visits, Emily promoted the industry throughout the community. She also made a stop in Wisconsin to speak at a spring conference for the state's master gardeners. It was a fantastic opportunity to speak to individuals who can help provide habitat for honey bees and encourage their use and protection in their areas. Consider contacting your local master gardener group through your county extension office when a honey queen or princess visits your state. Often, they hold regular meetings and are interested in learning about the current status of honey bees in the United States and what they can do to increase honey bee habitat.

May and June have several openings on Caroline and Emily's calendars for your local farmers' market, school promotion or other events. Please contact me to arrange your visit today! You may reach me at honeyqueen99@hotmail.comor 414.545.5514. Happy promoting!

Bee Involved: Science Hobbyists Needed for a National Study

Researchers at North Carolina State University need your help with a new National Science Foundation sponsored research study that will investigate the characteristics and educational experiences of people who are active in science hobbies. More and more people are engaging in science hobbies; schools and science centers would like to know more about the characteristics of science hobbyists and how these organizations might better support hobbyists' networking and education.

What will happen if you take part in the study? The information gained from this research can help science educators and researchers understand how to better teach science in schools and museums, and how to design better community-based science programs. Participation in this study is voluntary. Information you provide will be anonymous. If you complete the survey, you may elect to enter a drawing for a $100 Target gift card.

Bee Thinking

Last month's riddle master was ABF member Charles Walter. Below is the answer:

Riddle: You can take four of the five letters out of this word, but the pronunciation never changes. What is the word?

Answer:Queue

So, here's another riddle for you to wrestle with. Think you know the answer? The first to e-mail Tim Tucker at tuckerb@hit.net will lay claim to another fun ABF prize.

Today you're going nowhere, even though I'm on the road. It's a fix I need and we'll be there, as happy as a toad.

Buzzmakers: Latest and Greatest Beekeeping Industry News

A year after groups formally petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), four beekeepers and five environmental and consumer groups have filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court against the agency for its failure to protect pollinators from dangerous pesticides. Read more.

Bees could hold the key to preventing HIV transmission. Researchers have discovered that bee venom kills the virus while leaving body cells unharmed, which could lead to anti-HIV treatments. Uncover the findings.

A new, long-term study of honey bee health has found that a little-understood disease study authors are calling idiopathic brood disease syndrome (IBDS), which kills off bee larvae, is the largest risk factor for predicting the death of a bee colony. Discover more.

PHOTO CREDIT: Smithsonian.com

Scientists have found that some plants, like the coffee plant (Coffea), use caffeine to manipulate the memory of bees. The nectar in their flowers holds low levels of caffeine that pollinators find highly rewarding. Read how.

It's not just honey bees that are in trouble — the fuzzy American bumblebee seems to be disappearing in the Midwest. Learn more.

Could a robot honey bee actually pollinate an orchard or crop field? With a carbon fiber body and titanium wings, researchers say a mechanized honey bee is leading a microbot charge toward real world applications — agriculture included. Read more.

Canadian authorities have made no decision on ending live bee imports from Australia as a result of the out-of-control Asian honey bee invasion in northern Queensland. Read more.

Registration for the 2013 International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy is now open. The conference, which will be held at Penn State August 14-17, will focus on examining and mitigating the effects of environmental contaminants on pollinators. Learn more and register today.

ABF Welcomes New Members — February 2013

Johnny Bates, Alabama

Floyd Carnes, Texas

Trevor Curtis, Virginia

Ryan Douglas, Texas

Anna Duncan, Nevada

Maria Esche, New Jersey

Sarah Gendron, New Mexico

Wendy Hagan, Kentucky

Sam M. Hall, New York

Robert Hartman, Florida

Cara Hervey, Texas

Christina Kurtz, California

Drew J. Madzin, New Jersey

Kathleen McInnis, Texas

Sigurd Michelson, Florida

C. Pardue, Texas

Sun Park, Georgia

Gary Peacock, Georgia

LW Sell, Texas

Terry Smith, Ohio

Cliff Stevens, New York

Robyn Stroup, Oklahoma

Jane I. Sueme, Missouri

Recipe of the Month: Honey Roasted Chicken with Spring Peas and Shallots

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

by Grayson Daniels, ABF Membership Coordinator

Cooking with color is one of the best ways to celebrate the approach of spring. This chicken dish incorporates bright yellow lemons and green peas. Don't forget the honey — its natural sweetness adds the perfect balance to this dish.

Roast, uncovered, for 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees). Brush with half the honey and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the tarragon. Roast about 5 minutes more or until the chicken has a golden-brown glaze.